James McKenzie electrical goods was in Grange Road West, they had a Photographic shop opposite and slightly further up Grange Road West, this closed (probably in the 60s) and moved into the electrical shop. They also had a workshop in Oxton Road (where the Casino is now)
When I bought my camera, (a secondhand Leica IIIb), McKenzies was on the South side of Grange Rd. West, between Clayton St. & Barton St. This was in 1953/54. I'm pretty sure the camera section was in the shop which was mostly electrical goods. Does this tie up with your info?
Right Pinz, you have put doubts in my mind now, both sites were coop. I remember article in the newspaper (wirral globe or wirral news group) saying how big these wells were (they sounded huge), I can't find the article in either of their archives (I don't understand why both papers have gone to the trouble of putting up archves without decent search tools!).
Asda woodchurch (or Asda Arrowe Park as they call it) was opened in November 1999. Perhaps somebody with a sharper memory than mine can help me out here.
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After UCLA said cheerio to the site, didn't it become a Leo's Superstore ?? Maybe getting confused (again). No comments please Chris !!!!
There were actually two works on the site (if my memory serves me correctly) half the site was the UCLA, and the other half was the Belmont Clothing Factory (also owned by B&DCS). It did become a Leo's Superstore (which was a trading name of the Co-op) before the site was cleared and the new Asda built.
When I bought my camera, (a secondhand Leica IIIb), McKenzies was on the South side of Grange Rd. West, between Clayton St. & Barton St. This was in 1953/54. I'm pretty sure the camera section was in the shop which was mostly electrical goods. Does this tie up with your info?
This is where the main McKenzie's (the electrical bit) was, it was about three shops knocked together. I remember their camera shop from about 1961, this was on the North Side of Grange Road West, closer to Grange Mount than the main shop. It was a double fronted shop with central double doors. Possibly they opened this second shop between your visit in 1953/54 and when I knew it from 1961? Incidentally, McKenzie's also had shops in Hoylake, New Ferry and Ellesmere Port.
You are right about the Leos and then Co-Op. The clothing place before that, wasnt it an industrial laundry?? I remember it as a kid and always being told that! It had a large chimney at the front end! Or was it just the parents way of saying shut up?
Jase - the coop laundry is where Woodchurch/ArrowePark ASDA is now - the laundry wells that Pinzgauer mentioned somewhere else were rediscovered when they built ASDA.
Uptoncx - thanks for train location you are quite right, just couldn't picture it.
ye i no now. i lived next to it when pioneer foodstore (co-op)was there. never new this very interesting guys thanks for Sharing
UCLA AND the Belmont Clothing factory..... I'd quite forgotten all about that. You are quite right uptoncx. Two Co-op undertakings on the same site. Thanks for that.
The train was in the window of 'The Model Shop' which was in Oxton Road, and at some point (again I think probably the 60s but could have been 70s) it moved but only further down Oxton Road to where 'Kit Shop' is now (the train moved with it). For many years you could still see the penny slot at the old shop.
Roberts and Jobson had a giant tennis racquet over the shop and where in the 'Bank of Liverpool' building at Charring Cross.
Thank you; The Model Shop sounds familiar now. I can't remember much about Oxton Road although I used to walk up and down it frequently. I can visualise Roberts and Jobson now with the tennis racquet.
What was the name of the cafe directly opposite Hamilton Square Station? I think it was green - either painted or tiled. Was it Cardosi's? Ma used to take me there for green cream soda and a packet of salt and shake crips, when the salt was in the little twists of paper.
Interesting, the history of the Olivieri's. They mention there the Fabri's, although I seem to remember it being spelled Fabbri, but that could just be the brain rot setting in (pace Pinz). They had a shop in Grange Rd., almost on the corner of St.John St., on the side where the church was. & another in Argyle St. I used to buy ice cream there. There were a lot of Italian families in Britain in the ice cream business; we have one in Shrewsbury called Sidoli's. Most of these Italian families were interned during the war, mostly on the Isle of Man.
Thank you peeps. Olivieris, of course. What a lot of staff in that photo. We have Italian ice cream families up here too.
Your mention of Argyle Street, chriskay, brought me a sudden flash of a newsagent, not a shop that customers could walk in but almost like a counter across a doorway. I think it was close to Marion Street or Market Street?
What about moved bodies? When they built the ship repairers near the priory bodies had to be disinterred and reburied at Landican. St Albans school in Liscard was the same and I think it happened where Wilkinson's is in Birkenhead?
There were also bodies at the back of St Georges hall in Liverpool and they might still be there for all I know?
Years ago I worked with an old guy who was once asked to make cheap coffins to move the Priory bodies. He made a lot of money out of it. I suppose they would only be bones anyway?
I wouldn't put it past WBC digging up Rake lane and building houses on it. Poltergeist anyone? No not even they could be that stupid, could they?
the churchyard you are talking about where Wilkinsons is, was St Andrews. They reburied any at Landican. Do you remember the big sets of flats on that triangle before 'Asda' was built. They where knocked down early 70's.
Olivieris, of course. What a lot of staff in that photo. We have Italian ice cream families up here too. 
